How have you found your best buys?

J

jproaster

New member
I'm still a novice concerning guns. So I want input for obtaining guns that are a. right for the job, b. priced right, and c. in good shape.

I'm hoping to have a country life in a couple years here in eastern Tennessee. So I'd like to have the necessary guns to hunt, defend my self and home, and even something more powerful if a breakdown in law and order should take place.

I own a couple now- Ruger P95DC and Rem870. And while I'm not a master of either, I at least know what their general best uses are.

Well, even though my title suggests "how to buy", I got a little carried away with my intentions as well.

So answer as you feel.

Thanks,
john
 
First JP, save your money. Cash talks.

Then read:

http://www.chuckhawks.com/used_handgun.htm

and

http://thetruthaboutguns.com/2010/11/don-curton/how-to-buy-a-used-gun/

So you know what to look for in a gun.

Then go by the pawn shops. Go by weekly.

Some you will find have way high prices. Skip these.

Look for those that have decent prices and high turnover (and thus the selection changes each week!) I have a route I take to check the pawn shops I like. And once a week give them a lookover.

Examine any guns carfully. Once you find the gun you like, GO HOME. Wait a few days. If you still want it, go back and see if it's there and maybe buy it!

Deaf
 
I find/found my best buys by making the pawnshop circuit . I usually will go by twice a month . Be specific about what your looking for and be willing to dicker . Very few pawnshops are really firm about the prices they post , if you see something you like be prepared to to make several browsing trips to the shop before making an offer . Forums are a decent place to look but be aware that cross state trades has some risk so if the forum has a trader rating section be sure to browse if BEFORE contacting a seller/buyer .
 
never shop for a gun within a 30 minute drive of your front door. oh and cash is king. a gun priced at $425 will be sold for ~$350 all day long.
 
I check a few of the local gun shops on a semi-regular basis, but don't really hit the pawn shops around me. Most of the pawn shops want almost as much for their used guns as can be had for new (like within $50-75) and the pawn shop guns I see for the most part have not been taken care of to warrant that kind of price. Good deals can be had on used guns, but you have to be willing to look at several different shops, several different times in order to find a gun you like for a price you can live with.

I have also had some good deals from family (namely, my youngest brother). Picked up his like new Marlin 336 in .30-30 along with all his loaded ammo, brass, bullets, and dies for $200. Also bought a bull barrel Browning Buckmark and like new 1885 Highwall in .30-06 with all his loaded ammo, brass, and bullets for $500.

As stated above, cash in hand can work wonders on pricing with dealers that need to move inventory that has been in the store a while, or which may be a little less common, and not in high demand.
 
Hmmm... An interesting exercise...Without a doubt, I have found my best buys by:

1) Sitting at this computer and doing extensive research... Visiting manufacturer's websites, googling reviews of guns I become interested in, using tools such as genitron.com, wikipedia, forums such as this, etc.
2) TAKING NOTES on guns I'm interested in... comparing exact SIZE, WEIGHT, CAPACITY, MATERIALS, REPUTATION, etc... then narrowing down my search to those I'm VERY interested in.
3) Going to gun stores and gun shows and handling all the ones I'm interested in plus some others too so I can compare and be sure "my thinking" matches "the reality".
4) Rent and shoot the guns I'm interested in at a range... If the exact gun isn't available, I've found it helpful to rent similar ones because that helps in my decision process too. (Of course IF you have good buddies who LIKE to let you shoot their guns, that can be a big help too but the "IF" is very important).
5) By doing all of the above first... I pretty much know EXACTLY what I want and what the going price is, then I buy at a reputable gun store or a gun show if the price is in the ballpark. I don't need a super-low price to feel great about a gun buy. I need to get the exact gun I've decided on to feel great about a gun buy. I almost always buy NIB. I have special-ordered particular models I know I want and have had good success with that too. (My LGS lets me order on speculation/approval... No problems so far with that... I know what I want.)
 
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Actually, pawn shops will normally price a firearm kinda high, but that doesnt mean they are going to get that.
Most pawn shops are trying to pounce on the oportunity to sell something for as much as posible.

Having a couple of friends who own pawn shops (Unfortunately don't deal in firearms anymore!) and knowing how they operate is a good thing.
Most pawn brokers rarely pay more than 20-25% on a pawned firearm.

You come in with a prestine Colt made in the 1950's, thats probably worth a grand and you would be lucky to get $250.

Don't be afraid to haggle. All they can do is say no. After the gun has sat in their inventory for a couple of weeks the will take your offer.

Pawn shops are about cash flow! If it don't sell, money doesn't come in and the lending stops.

Now if it's a highly collectible piece and the pawn shop people know it, well they might hold out to make more.

Lots of good advice here from alot of kowlegable people!

Good luck and happy hunting!
 
It sounds like you are mostly interested in used guns since its pretty easy to tell the good deals from the not-so-good deals on new guns (just like shopping for anything else, including online shopping).

I've gotten the occasional good deal from a couple of local gun shops. Most of the time, they are charging for every penny of a gun's value but sometimes they'll get a deal and pass some of the savings along to the customer. You just have to be there to take advantage of it because guns don't last long around here if they are good deals. That means regular trips to the shop without wearing out your welcome. By that, I mean don't pester them to see every gun on the shelf if you're not seriously interested.

Best deal I ever got from a local gun shop? My SW Model 547 (9mm revolver):

SW_Model_547_DSCN1601.jpg
 
I get mine where ever I see them, if the price is right...

never shop for a gun within a 30 minute drive of your front door.
Click to expand...

Ok, this part I don't get. Most of my gun shopping is within a 30 minute drive of my front door. At my local gun shows.:D

Personally, I don't shop the pawn shops. But that's because I'm old, fat, more than borderline lazy, and a have a pretty well stocked battery already. What I go for these days are (mostly) special pieces that seldom surface in pawn shops around here. I could be wrong, because I don't shop them, but when I did, never seemed to find what I was interested in. You, on the other hand, might have just the opposite results.

I shop at the gun shows, out of our local "Giant Nickel" ad paper, local gun shops (rarely, but sometimes. I do like the lay-away:D), and from friends and co-workers. Have done the online thing also.

You have a decent handgun, and a good pump shotgun. A .22 rifle is about all you must get, and once you get beyond that, depending on what you want to do, a deer caliber rifle, and a .22 pistol will give you a good basic battery. The .22 pistol is for plinking, and practice handgunning on the cheap. Good for hunting varmints at closer ranges too.

One thing to remember, gun prices are not set in stone. There is MSRP, of course, and even though many dealers/traders seem to think the Blue Book of Gun Values is the law, its more of a guideline, really. And there are regional demand factors that affect the value as well. For example, in an urban area, compact CCW pistols are more marketable than elefant rifles, so somebody who has had an elefant gun sitting on the shelf for a while might be more willing to deal on it than they would be on a Ruger LCP that they have sold 8 of this month. The other side is say, rural Montana, where a big bore rifle is worth more than a pocket pistol to the customer base.

I've bought several guns this year at gun shows, most of them for $25-50 less than the asking price. All used, of course, but in good shape. I don't buy new guns often. Not much new that I want, for now.
 
Thanks a ton for the info. It seems that creating a "usual" circuit (stores and online) and knowing what I really want are key. And relatedly, I find it hard to say "no" to some of my friends concerning what they want to sell. I almost always have declined.

I did buy my first ipod this way though. Now if I'd only use it.

john
 
Ok, this part I don't get. Most of my gun shopping is within a 30 minute drive of my front door. At my local gun shows.
Click to expand...
i should have made my post a little more clear. i live in a major city, and while the shops around me are full of great guys, the prices are high and firm for most everything. in 30 minutes i can be in one of 2 other counties, where the shops are ran by 1-3 people who are lower priced from the jump, and are willing to negotiate.

for example, the ruger sr9c that i want really badly isnt kept on hand at the 3 local shops or the surrounding semi-local (~20min) shops. but at a shop in another county they always have one in stock. similar story on ammo.
 
I found my best deal at a pawn shop. The man who sold it to me said he's cheaper than other shops because he doesn't bother cleaning his guns. True or not, I got a good deal. Also, I was in a Cabela's, I passed through their Gun Library, and got another fairly good deal. This item wasn't on their website, so getting out and looking was essential for me.
 
I don't want to sound insensitive, but I have obtained a couple nice arms once the owner has become deceased. An innocent question if they owned any firearms and what are the family going to do with them never hurts if you know them well enough. Gosh this sounds awful as I read it. I don't mean as soon as you hear about it, I mean after the mourning period has passed. No vulturing please. I know personally that some widows fret a lot about what they are going to do with their husbands guns. Offer a fair price or at least give them advice of what to do with them. Estate sales are good ways as well, but you have to get there early.
 
Friends...

They all know that I REALLY like firearms. If they hear of someone wanting to sell...they call me first.

Beentown
 
I have found my best buys at gun shows. For example, NIB CZ 75BD for $339 2 years ago, Sig 2340 NIB $399 4 years ago and both from the same dealer, Forida Gun Exchange.
 
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